Chosen
by Writing On The Walls
Summary: You're not the chosen one. [SoRiku.] PostKH3 one-shot (absolutely no spoilers)


It's been..a while, since I've posted anything here. I'm not sure if I still have anybody interested in reading the few words I've managed to splutter out over the years, but anyway. 

Quick disclaimer: This contains no spoilers re: KH3. (I obviously have not played the game yet as it is not released until Tuesday) Only vague speculation. It is supposed to be set after the events of KH3, though. I am just too excited about the potential of the game to stay silent, so I churned this out really quickly. My fingers are crossed for these boys! They deserve everything they aren't going to get! Thank you for reading, and please take a sec to review with your thoughts (if you want! No pressure.) I hope KH3 is everything you've ever hoped for!

x

He was a fake.

He didn't know how, or why. He just knew that he was, and it wasn't even the worst thing.

Phil had been right. He wasn't a true hero, never would be. He imagined the tiny creatures smug little face. Imagined him calling him 'kid,' laughing, taunting. Wasn't even worthy of the 'junior hero' title, really. Herc's friend wouldn't intentionally be cruel, and Herc certainly wouldn't be himself. But they would be thinking it. That Sora wasn't worthy. Hating him, judging him.

Is this what Riku had felt like? Falling into darkness? He suddenly understood the significance of a blindfold. It's better not to have to see the world you'd destroyed. Better not to see the disappointment on the faces of those he'd loved when they realised what he really was. Better to hide and pretend and not have to face anybody.

Broken. Evil. Fake.

He'd always wondered of course. Why the Keyblade had chosen him. He wasn't special, or different, or anything. He wasn't particularly intelligent, or strong or brave. Not like his friends. He was just Sora. Only Sora.

Now, that was all he'd ever be.

He was in a mood. He was always in a mood these days. Saving the world a dozen times apparently wasn't enough for him to feel anything other than empty. So many people had died helping him or protecting him or because they loved him. Because he had interfered. Sure, he'd saved a few. But so many were dead whatever way you looked at it.

He was all alone.

If he hadn't have gotten involved, let the island be swallowed, minded his own business, they would be dead still. Maybe that would've been better, though. Maybe.

He'd given into the darkness. Watched all his friends die, and come back. Surrendered himself to Kingdom Hearts, in the hopes of bringing them back and come out on top.

But he still wasn't worthy. _You aren't the chosen one. You never were. You never will be._

He had no reason to call the Keyblade anymore. It had no reason to come. Still, he wondered.

X

Riku was there. Riku was always there these days. Sora was certain the older boy would carry his books to his locker between classes for him if he'd asked (besides the fact he wasn't even attending Destiny High anymore. That wasn't the point.)

Sora had come to the old play island, to sulk alone and think about the darkness that still lay hidden in his heart. He might have pulled his friends from darkness, but part of him would never come back.

 _You aren't the chosen one._

He sighed, and brushed his long brown hair out of his glassy eyes. He hadn't cut it in a while, seemed pointless really. He sensed movement though, behind one of the trees a bit further down the path.

'You don't have to hide in the shadows anymore, you know.'

'I thought it was fitting,' said Riku with a smirk, throwing himself onto the sand next to his friend. 'You know that the closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes.'

Sora frowned at him. 'I…think I've heard that before?'

'That's funny, because I just made it up.'

Sora rolled his eyes, and Riku stuck his tongue out at him. 'You're such a dork sometimes.'

'Sometimes?'

They grew quiet, eyes focused solely on the fading sun. It had almost disappeared completely when Riku spoke again.

'I was terrified too, you know.'

Sora glanced over at this admission, but didn't say anything. Riku was brave. Riku wasn't scared of anything. Riku actually was the keyblades chosen. He could never understand.

'Of the darkness – I almost gave up, y'know? So many times. You know what kept me going?' Riku paused, not sure if Sora was actually listening to him or not. He continued regardless. 'You, Sora. I was so afraid that if I got too close to you, the shadow I was in would just keep becoming bigger, and more terrifying. But I couldn't give up, I couldn't let them win. None of them. I had to have you, I had to save you, and if that meant being stuck in the darkness forever, well that was worth it! You're the light, Sora. '

Sora just shrugged, eyes glazed over. Riku was growing frustrated, had been frustrated with his friend for what felt like months, years. Why didn't Sora realise what he was? How important he was? How much he meant to everybody. Part of Riku understood. He'd been there. But he was Riku, and this was Sora. _Sora._

'I don't know why you're like this. You saved us. You saved everyone. All the worlds? Roxas, Xion, Ven, Aqua and all the rest? They're okay because of you.'

A laugh escaped Sora's lips, but it was far from joyful. It was full of every moment of panic, every piece of fear. Every tear that had fallen from the loss of somebody he loved. It was painted with the doubt – no, the knowledge that he wasn't good enough, would never be good enough. That all of it didn't matter. It didn't. He had caused all this agony, all the torment. He was only placing back together the delicate pieces of what he himself had broken. That was far from heroic. He had only succeeded because of everybody else. It could have been anybody. Anybody. Instead, they suffered.

 _You're not the keyblade's chosen._

'I'm not the keyblade's chosen.' The words came without want, or emotion. There was no taking them back. They sat between them, heavy and malicious and it was only when Riku sighed that they were shattered.

'No,' he admitted, 'but why is that the most important thing.'

Sora stood up abruptly, 'because if I'm not the hero, then I'm the villain. I did this, I did all of this! I spent my whole life dreaming of greatness, of something more than this excessively mundane life! We both did! Then I was given everything I ever wanted, only for it to be told that that's not who I actually am! I'm a broken mess, worth little more than a discarded shell on a beach. I deserve better than this. I deserve-' he shook his head, and made to walk away but Riku grabbed his hand and tugged on it urgently.

'Sora!'

'Riku.' He pulled again.

'SORA. Listen to me,' pleaded Riku, his face suddenly wet. Sora wasn't sure if it was because of the humidity in the sea air, or because the older boy was crying. It made him stop, either way.

'You're not the chosen one.'

'I kno-'

'NO. Sora, listen to me.' He tugged the smaller boy closer, looked him dead in the eyes, and breathed deeply. 'You're not the chosen one, Sora. I spent my whole life dreaming of Chosen One's, like you said. Of Terra's and Lea's and Ven's. We read books, and played video games, and pretended on the island. Who doesn't want to be the Chosen One? I get it. But Sora,' he blinked three times in quick succession, trying to pick his words carefully.

'Sora, I don't care if you're the chosen one, or not. Because you're Sora. You're kind, funny and thoughtful. You're bright in ways other people can only dream of. You're a dork but you're strong and brave and you didn't have to save the world. It wasn't planned or destined for you. But you know what? You did it anyway! I damn well wouldn't have, but we've known for a long time that you're the better person.'

Sora snorted, but Riku didn't stop. 'You might not be the hero of this story, but you're the hero of _my_ story. And Sora? I choose you. Every day. I choose you. I choose you in this moment, and in five minutes. I will choose you tomorrow, and the next day, and for every day for the rest of my story. I would choose you over every hero and chosen one or God or or Dandelion or anything. You were never the villain. How could anybody ever think that about someone like you? And I love you, I-'

Sora gasped, reacting for the first time to Riku's words by stepping back in surprise. 'You, you what?'

Riku looked pained, and Sora was aware that he was still gripping the other boy's hand. "I will choose you, and love you until my story ends. Or your story ends. Or our story ends. Because even heroes have an ending.' He smiled faintly, and Sora knew he was thinking of Terra. Sora also knew the only thing he could say, the only thing that mattered in that moment.

He would stop and think back to this moment years later, a thousand chapters deeper into the story the two of them shared. They'd never shared a paopu, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that they wanted to be together. That Riku chose Sora again and again, and would fight against an entire universe of light and darkness to be with him. And fuck destiny. Because Sora and Riku? They'd make their own destiny, Keyblades and heroes and fruit and Kingdom Hearts be damned. The darkness from inside didn't disappear. Definitely not in that moment anyway, maybe it never would. _We'll be the darkness,_ they had promised all those years ago. Sora would never revert back to his pre-journey innocence, but it was okay, it would always be okay. Because Riku would always be there by choice. And wasn't it true, that their actions and their choices meant so much more than whatever anybody else wanted or chose or demanded of them? Maybe that was all that mattered.

He didn't think twice before pressing his lips against his friends. An entire lifetime of decisions placed into one simple action, and five little words.

'I choose you too, Riku.'


End file.
